


Precious Stone

by MayGlenn



Series: May's February Ficlet Challenge 2021 [10]
Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/F, Found Family, Gen, Getting Together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-12 02:47:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29378019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MayGlenn/pseuds/MayGlenn
Summary: “I’m starting to fear that Meenu’s parents aren’t coming back.”
Relationships: Chloe Frazer/Nadine Ross
Series: May's February Ficlet Challenge 2021 [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2141298
Comments: 6
Kudos: 27
Collections: February Ficlet Challenge 2021: Apocalypse No





	Precious Stone

“I’m starting to fear that Meenu’s parents aren’t coming back.”

It was late, and Sam had gone to a hotel, but Nadine and Chloe stayed at the shop with Meenu, waiting for her parents to return. The parents that Meenu had been so sure were coming right back hadn’t been back the whole time they had been gone, apparently. 

By now, Meenu had gone to sleep in her little bed in the back, and Nadine had been too tired and sore to go anywhere, so she was only too happy to stay with the kid and what was left of the six-pack Sam had bought and she had bullied him out of while Chloe wandered around. 

“Kid’s been running the shop. Ordering takeout with the money from the till. I asked the neighbors,” Chloe said, sitting next to Nadine, bumping their arms together. 

Nadine sighed heavily. “Don’t tell me--”

“No extended family, not that the neighbors know of,” Chloe finished, with a heavier sigh. 

They’re quiet for a time, letting their fingers brush and then intertwine, considering. 

“I saved you a beer.”

“Mm.”

“But then it got warm, so I drank it.” 

“Thanks.” Chloe laughed, resting her head on Nadine’s shoulder. 

“So I...guess we’re gonna do the right thing, here, ‘eh?” Nadine ventured. “Giving up the tusk to the Ministry of Culture, inform the authorities about the kid’s parents.” 

“They’re on the brink of civil war, Ross,” Chloe hissed. “I don’t want the kid tossed in an orphanage that’s just gonna get blown up.” 

Chloe paused, considering her next words carefully: “She’ll come with us.” 

Nadine stopped and turned. “I’m drunk. But you’re serious?” 

“I mean, if she wants to.” 

“What about the treasure hunting? I thought you were a professional!” 

“She can stay with my mum while we’re working. She’d almost given up hope, you know. For grandchildren.” 

Nadine scoffed. “Stereotype about Indian mothers is true, then? You doing this for your mum?” 

“Not--not  _ for  _ her, but--it’s a perk…!” 

“What about for me? I’m your partner, Ross.”

Nadine’s face was stony, stern, but something almost playful sparkled in her eyes. 

“Partner?” Chloe repeated. There was a lot more in that word than she had heard before. More like  _ girlfriend _ . More  _ than  _ girlfriend. “W-well, what  _ do  _ you say? Partner?” 

“I like kids. I like keeping them out of danger,” Nadine said, and this time she smiled sadly. “I always said I wanted one just to prove I wouldn’t fuck it up like--” 

“Yeah,” Chloe agreed. “Neither of our fathers were role models.” 

“Guess two mothers won’t fuck it up, then.” 

“ _ It’s _ not hypothetical, Nadine. She’s got a name.” 

“Unfortunate.  _ Meenu _ ?” 

“It means ‘precious stone,’ Ross. You love gems.” 

Nadine chuckled. “Yeah. I do.”

Chloe licked her lips, her hand venturing to rest on Nadine’s thigh. She was all muscle. And Chloe always said that if she had a type, it was ‘muscles’--she had dated Nathan Drake for a year just for his  _ arms _ . “So. Two mothers, eh?” 

She leaned forward, close enough to smell cheap beer on Nadine’s mouth.

“Watch it, I don’t think that’s legal, here,” Nadine teased. 

Their noses were almost touching, but at that Chloe rolled her eyes and pulled back. 

“Alright, shut up.” 

“Time the rest of the world caught up to South Africa, all I’m saying. We’ve had marriage equality for longer than Meenu’s been alive--longer than  _ Australia-- _ ” 

“Shut up and kiss me,” Chloe said, pushing Nadine back onto the couch, settling on top of her. 

Nadine was grinning. “Haven’t done enough illegal things in your birth country, yet, eh?” 

“It’s only  _ illegal  _ if I…” Chloe said, and the rest was lost in a whisper that brought a warm flush to Nadine’s cheeks. 

In the morning they’d talk to Meenu, and the authorities, and the Ministry of Culture, and Sam, and Nadine was probably going to talk her into getting a dog or a damn monkey for the kid because ‘kids should have pets’ but it would just be an excuse for  _ Nadine  _ to get a pet...but right now, all that mattered was each other. 

**Author's Note:**

> According to my quick googling, South Africa legalized some of the the earliest protections for same-sex marriage and LGBT rights, so Nadine's got the right to gloat! 
> 
> Anyway, they definitely use the money from the Tusk find to get married, legally adopt Meenu, and get Nadine a dog. 
> 
> Eleventh in the February Ficlet Challenge. Today's prompt was "Fear."


End file.
